The Brookhaven leader., 1887-09-08
HAMILTON ON THE STAND.
The Defendant In the Wyandotte Train
wreaIIing Case Gives His Testimony.

wrealxing Case Gives His Testimony.
lin the trial OF George II. Hamilton at
Wyandotte upon the charge of wreckinR
Missouri Pacific train IN April, 1885, and
causing the death Of Horton and Carlisle,
Vossen, one Of the accused, who turned
States evidence at the former trial again
told the story Of the wreck in detail. His
testimony was the same as that given on
the former trial. He testified positively TO
TO Hamilton's connection with the
wreck and told how the work
was done, and what part each OF the &C
cused took init. A rigid cross-examination
failed to materially shake his evidence.
Newport, another of the accused. who has
turned States evidence since the former
trial, was also put on the stand by the
prosecution and fully corroborated the
story told by Vossen. The defense intro
duced witnesses to prove an alibi, and
Hamilton himself was put on the stand to
give an account Of himself on that fatal
night
THE DEFENDANT on THE STAND.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, Sept. 8.-Judge HIND
mans court at Wyandotte was well filled
yesterday afternoon in the trial Of George
HamIlton, charged with train wrecking, 1t
being understood the defendant himself
would be examined. All during the trial
the court room has been crowded with
Knights of Labor sympathizers. Hereto
fore they have been quite orderly, but yes
terday afternoon they became so worked
up over one of MAJOR Warmers little
speeches that they burst out in a perfect
storm of applause.
Hamilton said: Il have resided in Kan
sas City and in Kansas for the past six
years. am carpenter, married and have
family. / remember the strike and the
wrecking of train on April 81, 1885. Be
| fore the strike was coach inspector. At
| that time | was a member Of the local ex-
ecutive board of the Knights of Labor. l
! belonged to District Assembly No. lOl.
| The headquarters of the two local assem-
| blies were at 1919 Sixth street, On Sunday
preceding the wreck l was in the vicinity
Of 1919 all day l had been there on the
| Saturday night before. l left the hall
between $50 and SIX Sunday evening and
returned at about nine o'clock"
Did you have wig in your possession
Sundayr
II did. | borrowed 1t from Mr.. Law, a
| neighbor at Armourdale. told Law that
| | wanted 10 go to boarding house to have
a little fun. My object was to get 1t and
call on Mr.. Wright who l expected to
see there. wanted to get Wright in the
| Missouri Pacific shops so as to keep me
posted as to what was going on, so could
sent report 70 the general committee at
St. Louis. was to fix myself up as an old
man when met b In so that no one would
know that was communicating with him.
| ] put the wig on at home and called at the
boarding L,use at about $50 o'clock, but l
didn't fine Wright 1t was railroad board
| ing house none of the strikers were stop
ping ther,. Leaving there | returned to
| the hall, where found Lloyd, Mcnamara,
| Nossen, Newport, two switchmen and old
| man Mon lhan. | went there to stay all
| night. TIE committee made 1t an object to
| have some member at the hall all
| the tim. so that our men would
| know where to find US. / stayed all
| night frt quently. Thomas Feeney came
IN while | was there that night and
Jack Leary also dropped in. When |
went to the hall l still wore this wig. l
passed it around to the boys aud we had
| some sport over it, l believe Lloyd and
Newport went out once. Feeney stayed a
| little while, went out and returned. VOs-
| sen left at about twelve o'clock. didn't see
him again. The last person l saw leave
was Mcnamara. He went out shortly af-
ter Vossen. That lett Lloyd, Monahan,
Newport, Feeney, Jack Leary and myself
Feeney and l had a conversation in regard
to the mail"
"How long did you remainr'
Il didn't go out until four o'clock in the
morning. Inever left the hall to go with
anybody down the Missouri Pacific track.
There was nothing said by me or anybody
else about stopping or in any way interfer-
ing with trains on the Missouri Pacific.
When | left the hall went down stairs TO
see a man who wanted something to eat.
was awakened by a barber who keeps a
shop next door to the hall. l went back w
stairs and renamed in the hall until six
o'clock when went down stairs. Shortly
after that | heard of the wreck. / was on
the sidewalk in front of the hall at the
time. l then started down toward the
wreck On Sixth and James streets l met
a man who said it was no use going, that
couldn't get near to it for the guards.
turned around and went home. That night
l went back to the hall.
You never had any thing to do with the
wreck!"
mo, sir; and never had any thing to do
with any person who was connected with
| 1t. knew nothing about it.
| Upon cross-eXaminatOn Hamilton told
what was the duty of committee the
strikers had to attend TO their interests in
the railroad yards. That committee had
nothing to do with dlsmantling engines
He had no knowledge of persons killing
engines. He had heard of it. Other mat
ters brought out upon his cross-examlna
ton were unimportant, referring mainly tC
the part he took as a member of the com
mittee to look after the interest of the